And They Call It Puppy Love
by 8belles
Summary: One shot when Danny and Charlie were children back at home.


And They Call It Puppy Love

Danny saw the scruffy creature near the fence post to their family garden. He watched it for a while as it pulled on a blade of grass emitting a small, low sound from time to time. It was mostly brown and black with white toes. Danny thought it was funny how its ears flopped when it pulled on the grass and its tail moved back and forth quickly like it was listening to a fast song.

Deciding this creature was of no harm to him, four-year-old Danny walked over it the fluffy thing. It stopped when it saw Danny take a few steps toward it. Danny stopped too, not knowing exactly what it was going to do. The creature cocked its head making an ear flip inside out and a small pink tongue appeared from his mouth as it panted.

Danny thought it looked like it was smiling and smiling was always a sign someone wanted to be your friend. Crouching down to get more on the animal's level, he thought he could be a friend with this thing. The puppy took Danny's body language to mean one thing: play!

With floppy, uncoordinated legs, the puppy bounded forward towards Danny. His eyes flew open wide in unexpected fear but his center of balance was off from squatting and he fell backwards in the dust. Feet up in the air and his arms row boating, he tried to back himself up from the charge of this now terrifying creature.

The puppy wasted no time in leaping awkwardly between Danny's upended legs, over his belly and onto his chest. The pink tongue licked Danny's face mercilessly and glued his bleach blonde hair into saliva-encrusted spikes. Danny felt the urge to scream, but the touch of the puppy tickled so instead of fear, he laughed like a feather was tickling his most ticklish spots.

The puppy nibbled his nose and the lobes of his ears and then leaped off him. Down on elbows and rear in the air, a sharp sound came from the puppy and it make Danny jump. The puppy did it again, a small growl then," Yip!"

" Yip!", Danny said back and imitated the puppy's play posture, rear in the air, face low to the ground.

The puppy pounced at Danny but he was starting to figure out this game and crawled quickly sideways. Standing, Danny thought it funny to jump and then puppy chase him, then he chased the puppy. Around and around the vegetable garden fence they ran each chasing the other; Danny barking like a dog, and the puppy returning the call.

Maggie leaned against the door frame of the house watching her stepson play with the puppy. She smiled for the first time in a long time at the innocence of the scene. Ben came from the kitchen to see what she was watching, because it was rare for Maggie to stop doing anything for long, she was so busy. He slipped a hand over her shoulder as not to surprise her and peeked past her head. Ben gave a low chuckle at the pair: boy and dog. Maggie thought it was good to hear him laugh, even a little. She looked at him and saw his blue eyes dancing with delight watching his son.

" You think he'll ask to keep it?", Maggie said softly.

" Probably.", Ben replied still watching the pair.

" Will we?", Maggie said thinking fondly of the pets she had growing up which was a bittersweet memory.

" Why not?", he replied looking at her and placing a small kiss on her forehead.

By now the two playmates had worn themselves out and Danny sat on the ground, his back against a fence post. The puppy was flopped down beside his leg on its side panting from their exertions. " A real Norman Rockwell moment.", Ben commented wishing he had a working camera.

" Who?", Maggie asked.

" Yankee thing. Never mind.", Ben said and stepped out into the yard.

Danny looked at his father approaching and leaped to his feet scooping up the exhausted puppy," Daddy! Look! Look what I found!" The puppy didn't resist and flopped in the child's grip like a ragdoll.

" I see! Now be careful. We don't to hurt the puppy.", Ben told his son and showed him how to hold the small animal carefully.

" He's my friend! I wanna be with him always.", Danny chirped excitedly looking at his father with expectant eyes.

" Well, if we do that we have to take care of him. Feed him, give him a bath and a name.", Ben said to his son trying to look serious but having a hard time keeping the smile off his face.

"I will. I promise! PLEASE?!", Danny cajoled, " I LOVE him."

Ben laughed at the earnest protestations of his son, " Ok, but first you and your friend need a bath!"

" A bath! No… ", Danny began to whine.

" No buts mister!", Ben replied and herded his son towards the house where Maggie had watched the whole interaction.

Just then ten year old Charlie came back from helping milk cows with a pail of milk, " HEY! Why does Danny get a dog!"

Ben and Maggie looked at each other and laughed, " Must be puppy love!"

The End.


End file.
